The Lailah Experiment
by Claireisclaire
Summary: Lailah is a mystery girl with no memory before 2012, she stumbles upon the Avengers and she believes they are the just the people who can help her. Of course, this was strictly a perfesional relationship...except with a certain boy who seems to know more about her than she knows about herself.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Pietro woke up to the sound of music. Extremely loud music. His first thought was that Stark had thrown a party but this music was more elegant, like an orchestra. He exited his room, Wanda had woken up too and was tying the rope on her robe.

"What is it?" The younger twin rubbed her eye, attempting to get rid of the tiredness she was feeling.

"What. The. Hell. Tony, turn it off!" The, now angry, Russian assassin yelled from her room one hall down.

"It isn't me." Tony grumbled. "F.R.I.D.A.Y. lights." The lights turned on and a unanimous groan sounded through the living quarters. "At least, I don't think it's me."

Vision appeared through the glass windows, passing peacefully through. "Vision, who is it?" Clint grabbed a bow and arrow with his eyes half closed. "And where can I get a clear shot?"

"You will not need your weapons, but you should probably come see this." The Vision started floating down to the lower level. He floated back up, "you need to be quiet." The Avengers groaned and placed down their weapons. They grumbled their way down to the lower level where a green hill stretched out for miles surrounding the facility.

Pietro had been the first to look around and notice that Lailah was not among them, his half-awake mind did not process that this might be the source of the noise. Eventually the whole gang emerged from their rooms in the sleepwear. Steve, Barnes, Clint, Natasha, Scott, Sam, and Rhodes stood together in the common area.

"Tony, I swear if this is like what you pulled in April I'm gonna-" Sam was cut off by Natasha putting hand to his mouth. As they stepped outside the music boomed.

It was a soft melody that made Wanda sway from side to side. There were no speakers, no gadgets, only Lailah, standing in the middle of the field her arms moving gracefully from side to side. The music grew and a resonant chord rang out across the yard, the sound gave Pietro goosebumps. Lailah moved with the music as it died down, she was the conductor, but with no discernable music source Pietro walked closer, he walked slowly, usually this would have bothered him, but his need for speed was trumped by the beating of his heart as he heard the final chord sound from the invisible orchestra. Lailah held her hands out in front of her, slightly shaking. Her blonde hair was caught around her neck, her eyes closed and a wide smile painted her face. Pietro took a moment to memorize this look, even though she had been here half a year this was the most relaxed he'd seen her.

When she first came to the new Avengers Headquarters she hadn't known anything about herself, the only memories had been since 2012, after the attack in New York. She was searching for answers, while also aiding the Avengers recently. But she had been in awe of the hero's that stood before her, she had just saved their life and she was speechless in front of a man whom Pietro had just learned to 'not hate'. Tony Stark let her in with open arms after he heard about the incident in Texas. Lailah had, what Dr. Banner called, Energy Manipulation. She could give out bursts of energy and take away energy when she touched any person. Her past was a mystery, she was a mystery, one that everyone was eager to solve.

"That was beautiful." Pietro said quietly, not wanting to startle her. She slowly opened her eyes.

"I had a dream about a concert, I was sitting on the stage and watching this orchestra play this song, and when I woke up I tried to recreate it." Lailah dropped her hands. "Look." Pietro turned his head and he caught a glimpse, his mouth dropped open in awe. There were instruments, multiple, of every kind. They were lined up in a curved semi-circle around Lailah.

The other avengers walked up to them and saw the band.

"This isn't energy manipulation," Steve noted, "this is energy creation." Lailah shook her head.

"No, I took the energy to make this, I just…made it." She swayed.

"Where did you take the energy from, Lai?" Natasha scratched her nose.

"Myself. Can I go to sleep now?" Pietro placed a hand on her back to steady her.

"Lailah, try to bring the energy back to you." Wanda suggested. She had been particularly interested in Lailah's powers, mostly because she didn't understand them. Not that anyone did, it almost drove Tony insane when he couldn't figure out what she was.

"How?" Her eyes drooped closed. "Can I try it tomorrow?"

"Try it now." Wanda said calmly. "Focus on the energy, pull it towards you and absorb it, like you're hugging it." Lailah moved her arms and the instruments turned into a distorted, see through, blob. It floated toward Lailah, she opened her arms and the energy flew quickly at her. She screamed and fell, Pietro went to his knees and Lailah's head rested in his lap.

"What happened?" Tony had out a scientific device, he was waving it around the energy blob.

"My best guess is once she takes the energy out and morphs it, it no longer becomes hers." The billionaire yawned and put away his device. "Let's deal with this tomorrow." Pietro picked up Lailah and started to carry her back to her room.

Scott leaned to Sam, "that was awesome. I want that power."

"What? And give up being Ant Man?"

"You're extra sarcastic when you're tired." Scott and Sam were the last to leave the field.


	2. Chapter 2

Pietro set Lailah down on her bed. Her hands held onto his shirt when he tried to pull away. He attempted to pull her hand off, but when he tried she would only hold on tighter. Pietro sighed and picked Lailah back up. He sat in her bed and held her. Her head rested on his shoulder, with this time he had, Pietro studied the features of her face. Of course she was beautiful, that was not in question, but up close he could see scars lining her hair line. He wondered who could have done this too her, if only she would recover her memory. Pietro tried not to think too hard about what Lailah had gone through, it made him angry and when he gets angry he runs. He could not run at the moment. He didn't want to. So, he took a deep breath and leaned he head against the wall.

Stark had looked up every Lailah, with every spelling imaginable in Texas over the past eighteen years and none of them looked like her. Of course there was a possibility Lailah wasn't even her real name. Lailah said the only thing she remembered was a file titled 'The Lailah Experiment', that's it. Nothing on that title anywhere either.

The worst part was that Lailah didn't seem worried or concerned. She just accepted what Dr. Cho had said that her memories might come back, or they might not. This especially made Pietro mad, he didn't like not knowing.

Lailah arrived in New York one month after Loki's attack, she was dressed in a green dress that she kept under her bed. Her first memory was walking and being picked up by a fireman and asking if she had been in the attack, of course she had no idea what he was talking about. She was taken to a hospital, there she waited a full day to speak to a doctor that never came. She left the hospital and hitch hiked her way to Texas. Why? She had no idea, just a feeling.

In the next four years she found no new information, only one memory had returned, the folder with her 'name' on it. A part of Pietro was glad she didn't remember, if she was an experiment she probably went through what he did, and he wished he could forget. The agony felt endless, he did not want that for her. With one last look at Lailah, Pietro laid his head back and closed his eyes.

Pietro woke to Wanda knocking on the door. Lailah was still in his arms, she had not moved.

"Stark needs everyone downstairs." Pietro nodded. "Or I could tell him you're busy-"

"No, no." Pietro whispered to his sister as she laughed. "We'll be there in five minutes." Wanda nodded and closed the door. She had liked Lailah from the first time they met, Wanda was close to death and Lailah saved her. And if she made Pietro happy, then all the better. Wanda only wished she could help her get her memories back, she had tried before. To get inside her head but there was a force field of sorts keeping her from excessing them. It had hurt Lailah and Wanda in the process of trying to access her mind. The only other thing that she could try was use her power of nightmare, try to see if Lailah's greatest fear was her experimentation, but no one told Lailah of it. Since the last time Wanda had used it had silenced the Avengers for almost a week. No one wanted that for Lailah.

Lailah entered wrapped in a fluffy, pink, robe. Her hair was messed up, her eyes were half open and she ran into her chair before pulling it out and sitting down. She propped her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees.

Pietro opened the door with his back, he held two cups of coffee. He sat down next to Lailah and slide the cup over to her. She picked it up and sipped it, the team talked quietly until a man in a grey suit entered the room. Pietro had no idea who it was, but Tony rolled his eyes so it was probably a politician.

"Avengers, such a pleasure. My kid loves you."

"What is this about, Walter?" Natasha asked, she crossed her arms and flipped her hair away from her face.

"It's about her." Walter gestured to Lailah. Lailah looked up from her cup, the rest of the team sat up a little straighter. This did not seem to be going anywhere good. "There are people who are questioning her loyalty." Lailah dropped her legs down and pushed her hair out of her face, she didn't like it when people had a preconceived notion of her.

"Who's the people?" Lailah asked, her voice, which was normally light to the sound was now lower.

"Important people. Now, we don't mean to imply anything rude, we just want to ask you some questions." Lailah smiled involuntarily. Her, Pietro, and Wanda had recently been watching the television show Bones and this is what Booth said to the men who he thought was guilty. "Did I say something humorous?" Lailah shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I'm tired and confused." Lailah leaned forward. "Why is my loyalty in question? I think I've only been helpful, and I'm learning about my powers, I'm not hurting anyone." Walter grabbed an envelope from his jacket pocket and slid it over to Lailah.

She opened it, and looked up at Walter. "What is this?"

"Ever since you signed the Avengers contract we have been searching for where you could have gotten your powers, since it seems it wasn't HYDRA we are…interested in you. In your powers. These are eye witnesses who have stepped forward claiming they have seen you performing…unheroic acts." Lailah looked at the list, she flipped the page.

"There are dates here that cannot be true. I couldn't have…set fire to a hotel in California and…killed a man in Arizona in the same day." Lailah could feel the energy reaching the surface. This was one thing she had trouble controlling, her temper. She had worked with Wanda, who use to have the same problem, but Lailah has yet to master the art. Lailah clenched her fists and placed them in her lap, she took a breath. "Anyway, these dates are all before my memory."

"Yes, your memory. A very convenient thing that is, isn't it?"

"That's enough." Steve stood. Walter immediately backed down. "When is this interrogation going to be?"

"Next Wednesday, my office. Three o'clock." He walked past Lailah as he exited. "Be more appropriately dressed." Lailah rolled her eyes and pushed her hand together, attempting to keep the energy inside her.

"What the hell was that?" Bucky asked. "Lailah isn't a threat."

"He just doesn't like not knowing everything." Steve put his hands on his hips.

"If he doesn't know something he has no control over it." Natasha stretched her neck. "That guy has been a pain in our ass since the beginning of time."

"There is a simple solution." Vision leaned on his forearms across the table. "Lailah will go to the interrogation and tell the truth. The truth is that she is no threat and is a valuable member of this team."

"What about her memory?" Pietro asked. "What if he tries to use it against her?"

"That sounds like something he would do." Clint put a hand to his chin, rubbing the scruff that had started to grow.

While this banter was going on, Lailah sat in the chair, she had no urge to drink her coffee, which usually took her two minutes to finish. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine life before the hospital that she had run away from. Think, she thought, what happened before?

"If she got her memory back, would scary suit man leave her alone?" Scott asked.

"Only if he liked her memories." Natasha said. "If she did something he doesn't like or agree with he could-"

"Nothing." Steve sat back down. "He couldn't do anything. We are a team, and none of us want Lailah to leave. We all trust her, correct?" The whole team agreed.

"What if I did this?" Lailah asked quietly.

"Lailah?" Wanda hoped she heard her wrong.

"What if I did all these things? What if I…" She looked at one of the incidents, "murdered a man, or stole a reactor of some sorts, or…killed another man? What if I'm a bad guy?"

"Our past doesn't define us." Bucky stated. "It's what we do in the present with our current mind that does."

"It seems to matter to him. What if I did all of these, or just one of them. What will he do to me?"

"Nothing." Steve repeated. "We won't let anyone take you away, okay? I promise."

"We'll protect you, we're family." Natasha took her hand and squeezed it lightly.

Lailah nodded but the pep talk didn't lift her spirits. She was the first to leave the room. She didn't bother to notice that no one had followed her out. She turned back to see what was the hold up, they were talking.

"-if we tried-" Wanda said quietly.

"No, we don't know what that will do. We don't even know if it'll work." Pietro seemed pretty convinced on his standpoint, whatever it was.

"Pietro, if it'll get her back her memories, maybe it's worth a shot." Natasha offered. Lailah opened the door. Everyone shut up.

"Whatever it is I'll do it."

"Lailah-" Pietro started.

"I want to. If it'll help." Everyone looked to Steve. He sighed and put a hand to his temple.

"Lailah, there is one aspect of Wanda's powers that we have been keeping from you. She doesn't use it on people anymore, because…because it makes them see their worst fear. Makes them live it." Lailah looked to Wanda who was busy picking at her nails.

"And you think my worst fear would be when I was experimented on?"

"It might. If you don't want to, we will understand. A few of us have been on the receiving end and it is not easy."

Lailah spoke without hesitation, "I'll do it." Pietro dropped his head.

"Think for more than a few seconds about it."

"Fine." Lailah took more than a few seconds to think about it. "I'll do it."


	3. Chapter 3

Lailah stood in the training room. She had changed into leggings and a tank top, her hair had been pulled back into a low ponytail. Wanda stood in front of her.

"You can still back out." Wanda whispered.

"No, I want to know." Lailah spread her feet, as if she were about to fight. Her heart was accelerating at an alarming rate. Her energy was boiling inside her skin, a feeling she had gotten used to when she was frightened.

"I'm so sorry, Lailah. You're my best friend, and I hope you don't hate me after this." Lailah pulled Wanda into a hug. Over the past months they had grown incredibly close, to the point they could speak without words.

"I'll see you on the other side, Wanda." Wanda nodded, she pushed the tears back from her eyes. Once she saw what her powers could do she had never wanted to do that to another human, even an enemy. It was the worst thing she had ever done.

The rest of the Avengers were watching from behind a window. Wanda threw red dust at her eyes and Lailah stepped back, surprised.

Nothing happened. Wanda is crying. I'm so scared. I'm terrified actually, not that I can show it. I have to be brave. Whatever will happen will happen. Wanda backed up, away from me.

"Wanda, I don't think it's-" The training room disappears. In its place is a seemingly normal neighborhood. "Working." I walk up to a blue house that has dead grass growing in the front yard. This is my house. How do I know that? There is a painted heart on the garage door. I walk toward the garage, and I'm right. There is a faded heart. This is my home. I run to the door. I'm home! I found it! The door is locked. I look around, a group of rocks surround the yard. I go up to a rock in the middle, they all look the same. But this one has a key, I remember it had a key. I open the rock and there is a metal key inside. I knew it!

I unlock the door and step inside. "Home."

When I walk in I have to grab my nose at the stench. "Oh, God." I look around quickly searching for the source of the order.

"What are you doing here?" A middle age woman stands at the top of the stairs; her nightgown is covered in blood. "Get out you useless girl, get out!" I just stood there, I have to know her. I must. Is she my mother? "Have you suddenly gone deaf, Quinn. I said get out!" Quinn. That can't be my name. Can it?

"Do you need help? Why does it smell like-"

"Death?" The woman walked down the stairs calmly. "That would be your fault, Quinn. If you had been here Adam wouldn't be dead." My stomach fell at the name Adam. I raced up the stairs, I pushed the woman to the side. "Watch it, brat."

"Adam! Adam!" I push open the door and I fell to the ground at the sight of a young man lying on the floor. His eyes are open and his face stained with blood. His body is twisted at an unnatural angle. "Please, no!" Tears blinded me and I tried to wipe them away but I still couldn't see. I pull Adam into my arms, not even knowing who he was. "Who did this?" I call out to the woman.

"She's up in that room." The woman said. I place Adam down and hide underneath the bed. "Quinn, Mr. Kartov is here for you." No, no, no, no, no. A picture of Mr. Kartov's face appeared in my mind. A sharp pain erupts in the front part of my head. I try to keep in my scream but the pain was too much, I shrieked. Large shoes walk across the floor, slowly.

"Where are you, my dove?" The man's voice, I knew him. He kneels down and his eyes find mine. "There you are, my Lailah."

Pietro had constantly been pacing back in forth. It had been an hour and she hadn't said anything important. Lailah was holding her nose, like she smelled something bad.

"Do you need help? Why does it smell like-"

She then backed up, this caught everyone's attention. "Adam! Adam! Please no! Who did this?" She was on the floor holding an invisible figure. Someone took Lailah's attention away from Adam. "No, no, no, no, no." She stood and rushed around, she grabbed her head in pain and screamed.

Pietro couldn't take anymore. "Wanda, make it stop."

"Wait, she may tell us more." Tony was typing away on his phone. Lailah was fighting against a person who was dragging her away.

"Wanda!" Wanda pulled the red dust away from Lailah. She dropped and curled into a ball. The Avengers raced down to the training room, Pietro got there first. He put his arms around Lailah, she punched and pushed him away.

"No, don't." Lailah yelled.

"Lailah, it's Pietro."

Lailah opened her eyes and Pietro wiped tears away from her face. "You're safe." Lailah pulled Pietro closer and and hide her face in his shoulder. "You're safe."

"Lailah, I'm so sorry." Wanda held her sides. Vision put a hand on her shoulder.

Tony knelt down, Lailah looked up at the man. Pietro studied Tony's face, he had never seen him without his usual smirk.

"Can you tell us what you saw?" Lailah was shaking, she tried to speak but nothing came out. "That's fine, we'll try again later." Lailah stood up. Pietro held Lailah's arm. When she tried to walk her legs gave out and she fell. Pietro caught her and carried her away.

"Never ask me to do that again." Vision led Wanda out of the training room.

"It was for the best, Tony." Rhodey put his hand on Tony's shoulder.

"Was it? If we got nothing and we put her through that I-" Tony rubbed his forehead. Ever since Texas Tony has had much respect for Lailah. She had obviously had trouble the years she spent try to find herself. And she saved the team, his team, his family. Lailah had taken the position of little sister to Tony, she would keep him in check, kind of like Natasha but not angry. She was always smiling; sometime she would sing while she was doing chores or practicing her energy. Without being spoken, the whole Avengers had gone to Lailah for optimism, with everything she did, she did with a smile. That was something in short supply around here.

There was one thing that clouded Tony's mind, if her memories returned would she lose her happiness? Would the flashbacks change her into a closed off introvert? He wouldn't have it. He would do everything in his power to make her happy again, whatever it would take.

"Let's just wait and see what she remembers." The avengers left the training room in a less than happy mood.

When Pietro sat Lailah down for the second time that day she immediately got back up. "No." Pietro lightly pushed her back down.

"I need…" Lailah pushed herself back up. She pointed a green, leather bond journal on her desk. Pietro grabs it, along with a pen. "Thanks." She shakily opens the journal and pushes past pages that Pietro looks away from. "I'm going…to write…" Pietro nodded and leaned on the door frame, watching her get a firm grip on the pen.

Steve nudged Pietro's shoulder. He followed Steve to the hallway.

"Pietro, I have been meaning to speak with you for a while now. I've been putting it off because…well, mostly, because I don't want to talk about it. But, it has become necessary." Pietro crossed his arms, ready to go on defense. "I need you to explain your relationship with Lailah." Pietro had not been expecting this. He lowered his arms, this question was more dangerous than what he had expected.

"Why?"

"Because we are a team, we can't have favoritism. It could get someone killed."

"It's not favoritism." Pietro rolled his eyes.

"It's not? So, if we were losing a battle and you had the chance to save one of us, you wouldn't immediately go to her?" Pietro scoffed at the Captain.

"This has nothing to do with our relationship."

"You admit to having one."

"Well, we've been living under the same roof for six months I would hope we would."

"If by some misfortune she gets taken away from us, I need to know you won't do anything drastic. We will fight for her, but we need to do it together." Pietro didn't know how to respond, of course they had a relationship and he cared deeply about her, he didn't like to think about it too much. "Pietro, promise me you'll stick with the team." He nodded.

"I'll stick with the team."

Steve patted his shoulder, "good."

CRASH!

Glass sprayed everywhere; Pietro slowed down time to move the large shards from hitting Steve.

"What the hell was that?" Tony asked standing up from behind the kitchen counter. "F.R.I.D.A.Y.?"

"The source seems to have come from Miss Lailah's room." Before the robotic voice finished Pietro was at Lailah's door. It was locked.

"Lailah. Lailah, are you alright. Open the door." From the other side he heard the soft sound of cries, but they were muffled, as if she was crying into a pillow. Pietro kicked the door, it would not budge.

The rest of the Avengers appeared and watch as Pietro failed to kick down the door.

"Lailah," Tony said softly. "We need you to open the door." He waited for a response that never came. "Lailah."

"Stop calling me that." Her voice cracked. Wanda put a hand to her chest.

"What should we call you?" Tony asked.

"I need Adam." Tony looked around raising his arms in confusion.

"Who's Adam?" Another crash sounded and a scream. Steve lightly pushed Tony back. He held his shield and brought it down on the door handle. It broke off, and swung open. They walked in on the shattered remaining of Lailah's room. Everything was broken, even the walls. The glass windows were shattered too and Lailah was running away.

"I'll get her." Pietro zoomed off. Tony picked up her journal which had landed face down.

"She remembered."

"How much?" Natasha asked.

"Everything."


	4. Chapter 4

Lailah, _no Quinn_ , _my name is Quinn_ , ran through the grassy lawn of the Avengers facility. All the memories of her life had rushed back to her and it felt like she had landed on hard cement. From all the birthday parties, to school, to the experiments, she remembered. And her first thought was she had to get back to Adam. Adam was her brother, her only thing left in the world. _No, you have the Avengers, they're your family too. But I need Adam._

Hands wrapped around her waist, spinning her around. She put her hands on the person's chest, pushing them away.

"It's me." Quinn looked up at Pietro and she recalled the first time they met.

" _Y'all look in bad shape, do you need help getting somewhere?" She had asked, slightly out of breath from the amount of energy she had used._

" _Do you know who we are" Pietro only lifted his head, his words came out in a short, choppy fashion. He had never been this tired._

" _Tourists?"_

She smiled slightly at the memory. "I found my memories. Well, most of them. I seem to keep being, uh, hit with them, you know?" He didn't but nodded anyway.

"So you have. Lai…are you alright?" Quinn nodded.

"I'm…fine." She was on the brink of tears. "I'm…hurting. I know what I went through and it all came back, the good memories, the bad, I remember and I relived it. It felt like years but only seconds past."

"Would you like to tell me?" She stepped away from Pietro. He hadn't realized they were still very close. "You don't have to; I don't want to push you."

"No, talking will help me ration my thoughts out. I will tell you everything, but…not right now. I'm sorry I ran; I was overcome with…emotion."

"That's alright. Let's go back inside." Pietro put an arm about the still trembling girl as they walked back inside.

Everyone was treating her like a mental patient; they didn't speak too loud or bring up her name.

After taking two bites of pizza she stated that she was ready to share. Everyone dropped their food and paid attention.

"My real name is Quinn Evangeline Lacey. I was born in Austin, Texas on July 11. I have a brother, Adam, he's two years older than me. Our father died in a car accident when I was three. Mom died of cancer when I was six. Adam and I were placed in a foster home under the care of Gretchen Willis, a horrid old woman who only kept us so she could continue to buy her alcohol. When Adam graduated high school he enlisted in the army, he said goodbye and didn't look back." Quinn didn't know how this topic would affect her, she pushed through the sudden pain in her heart. "I received one letter from him before I was kidnapped."

 _I tuck my covers up to my chin. Though it's July in Texas, Ms. Willis kept the air conditioning on high 24/7. Only two more years of this, then I'll be rid of her. I close my eyes mentally picture the books I plan to read at the library tomorrow, and the songs I'll listen to on the computer. Going to the library every day during the summer was my safe haven. I would pick out a good five novels. Get headphones and listen to classical music as I read._

 _I toss and turn for the first hour of 'sleeping', to excited about my plan for tomorrow._

 _I hear the creak of a door and think that Ms. Willis forgot to take a bottle up with her to her bed, in case she gets thirsty in the middle of the night. When my door opens I close my eyes tight and pretend to be asleep, what does she want?_

" _Grab her feet." A man's voice sounds. My eyes fly open and before I can scream a rag is put over my mouth, and I pass out._

Quinn hadn't realized she had been crying until Pietro put a hand on her leg. A tear fell from her cheek onto her knee. She wiped the tears away and tried to laugh it off.

"Do you need a break?" Tony asked concernedly.

"No, no. I'm fine. Once it's out, I can accept it and move on."

 _I wake up tied to a chair. What the hell? I pull against the rope and my skin screams at me to stop. As I look around I recognize that I'm in a surgical room. This reminds me of a video game Adam use to play. I think about calling out for help, but I don't think anyone here is my friend. So I stick with focusing on a way out. I push myself over to a counter and with my teeth I open drawers._

 _In one I find a surgical knife, but it looks sharp enough. I carefully move it to my hands and start the long process of cutting my ropes off. Once they're lying on the floor I easily cut through the restraint on my feet._

 _I keep the knife with me as I open the door, unlocked. Weird. The hallway is lite with dim bulbs. I run, my bare feet hitting cold tile. An open a door labeled stairs and take them two at a time._

 _That's when I hear voices, I race back down onto the floor I was on. A window is too my left and I open it, crawling out, I shut it just before the door opens and three men walk down the hallway. I kneel and look at my surrounding. I'm outside, it's dark. No street lamps of any kind. My eyes haven't adjusted yet, but I don't care. I run. I run straight into a fence. When my hand makes contact with it a bright light shines on me. I jump off and run to a different part of the fence. There too a light shined as I attempt to climb._

 _I look behind me and the building I am in has an American flag proudly waving in the front. There are several floors, connected closely together._

 _I turn my attention back to the fence and I place one foot above the other. Suddenly, my hands and body are on fire and I let go. My body jerks around, I have no control. My whole body is cold and hot at the same time. Electric fence._

 _A man stands above me._

" _Congratulations, you've gotten farther than anyone else. Kartov will be very pleased." My body gives one final shake then I pass out._

"I think that's enough for today." Steve said when the air in the room started getting thicker. Tony put a hand over his mouth, scratching his chin so he didn't explode with rage. "Lailah." She stopped talking. "I'm sorry, what would you like us to call you?"

She thought for a moment, "Quinn, please." Tony smiled behind his hand. "I'm gonna, go to bed." The team watched carefully as Quinn stood and walked away. "Guys, I'm fine. I don't need to be handled with kid gloves. I can start training again tomorrow. Now that I know more Natasha, we can start really working tomorrow. Whoo, who is excited?" Quinn raised her hands and jogged to her room.

"Is this something weird or do I just not understand women?" Scott asked the group.

"Hate to agree with tic-tac, but this doesn't seem normal." Sam picked up his drink.

"Let me talk to her. Though I had a…different reaction," Bucky stated, "I had a process that I went through, maybe if I explain it to Lai…Quinn she'll accept her past."

"Maybe tomorrow, Buck. Let's give her time to adjust." Bucky nodded.

Pietro just sat watching the direction that Quinn left. He was lost in thought when his sister entered his mind.

' _What are you going to do?'_

Pietro jumped a bit, no one seemed to notice that he was telepathically speaking with his sister.

' _What makes you think I'm going to do anything?'_ Pietro grabbed his drink.

' _I don't have to look into your brain to know you're going to do something. You're my brother, Pietro, and I know you care about Quinn. She likes you too, after she figures out her past you should take her out of the tower. Take her on a date.'_ Pietro chocked on his drink. Wanda smiled.

"Forgot how to drink, Speedy?" Stark asked.

"I'm going to bed." Pietro declared, he picked up his plate and placed it in the kitchen sink.

' _Be comforting, be the opposite of your usual self_.' Pietro rolled his eyes. And he went to bed, for five minutes. He then walked to Quinn's room. The door was slightly ajar. Pietro look to see if she was there. She was pushing her desk back up from the ground.

Pietro knocked lightly on the door. "Quinn?" Saying her new, old, name was quite confusing. He wasn't partial to her name; he was just partial to her. She was singing a song Pietro didn't recognize. "Quinn?" As he entered Quinn had turned around and was moving her body in time with the silent music. Pietro leaned against the door and crossed his arms. He smiled and looked away for a second trying to keep his laugh from escaping.

Quinn jumped and put a hand of her heart when she saw Pietro standing in her room. "Pietro." She smiled and pulled out her earbuds. Her smile confused him, with all the dark memories she has shouldn't she be thrown into despair.

"I wanted to see if you wanted…" He paused, not really knowing why he came over. He searched for an excuse. "Some help, fixing your room." Quinn looked around, her room was still a mess, she did want help and spending more time with Pietro was the highlight of every day.

"I'd love some help." She smiled.

Pietro picked up her bookshelf and Quinn knelt down to pick up the books.

"Quinn," with his accent it sounded more like 'Queen' and she liked that very much. "I want you to know that you don't have to go through your whole experience with them. I didn't even tell Wanda what Hydra did to me for years." Quinn set the books down. She looked up at Pietro and smiled. He was obviously more upset over her regained memories than she was.

"You're confused."

"I don't know what you went through but I know it wasn't good and you're right I am confused. I'm confused on why you are wanting to talk about this when it clearly upsets you. I'm confused on why you're not furious. I'm confused on why you're smiling right now." Quinn stood and grabbed Pietro's hands.

"All my life, and I am so glad I can say this, I have been an optimist. In the couple of hours that I have gotten my life back I have decided to not dwell on the past. Because frankly, the last couple of years have sucked, and now I have friends, I have a house with people who like me, and most importantly, I am helping people. Pietro, I and smiling because my life is so much better than it was, and I'm glad I remembered because now I know how lucky I am to have the Avengers, to have you. And I don't want to spend one more second of this wonderful life frowning." Pietro was happy with her answer. It calmed him, made the weight of her past lifted off his shoulders. "You may be right that I don't want to speak of what happened to me, because as I was speaking I remembered something else. It seems that my not all my memories have returned yet. I would like to put a pause on the sharing circle, for a bit at least."

"If you ever want to talk about it-"

Quinn placed a kiss on Pietro's cheek. "You'll be the first person I'll run to."

There was a moment where no words were spoken. Quinn pulled her hands away and used her power to move the books back onto the shelf.

"Well, I think that's enough cleaning for tonight. I'm going to get some sleep. I'll clean the rest of this tomorrow, thank you. Good night."

"Dobroy nochi, Quinn."

"I'm guessing that means goodnight?"

"Yes."

"Dobroy nochi." Quinn butchered. Pietro laughed. "Don't laugh, it's my first time speaking Russian."

"I'll teach you some time." And with that Pietro laughed and exited the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

Quinn sat down on her bed and her bottom lip quivered. Putting up the 'I'm happy' façade was draining her energy. Of course she wasn't okay, she didn't want to smile, she wanted to scream, but for her plan to work she needed the Avengers to lay off.

What she said to Pietro hadn't been _ **all**_ a lie. She did want to push past her past and focus on her new life, right after she made everything right. And while her memories were returning she remembered something very important, vital actually.


	5. Chapter 5

" _Good morning, Lailah. How are you feeling today?" I sit criss cross on my bed that I had, sadly, grown accustom too over the past month. I was still very certain that any day here would be my last._

" _Ready to see your ass get kicked." I smirk. Any day Adam will be here with the entire US army to rescue me. And even the Wicket Willis needs me for the money. The army is tracking this guy and they'll come find me. The first thing I want to do when I get out is go to Whataburger, and get some warm Texas Toast. My stomach growls, the food here sucks worse than my high school._

 _Kartov laughs, I can see his rotting teeth. "You need a better toothbrush."_

" _You are perfect, just what I need. You're going to be perfect, Lailah." I hate it when he calls me that, no matter how many times I correct him he refuses to call me anything but Lailah._

" _You know what's gonna be perfect? Me testifying against you in court. It'll give me an excuse to buy a pantsuit."_

" _I hope you keep your wit after this. Your time with our good doctor starts today, but before you leave I'm going to tell you a little secret." Kartov walks toward me. I push my chin up defensively. "No one is coming to rescue you." I would have come back with a witty response but his confidence was so intense my heart drops, I believe him. "And when you leave you won't say anything about me or what happens here, you know why?" I take this opportunity to spit in his face, it has been two days since I did it last. "Because with one word I can kill your brother." I roll my eyes; no one could get to Adam. He was top ranked in the schools NJORTC class, and he took martial arts classes during his off periods. "You want a test don't you." Kartov looks at a security camera. "I was hoping you would, or else I did this for no reason."_

 _A man in a uniform walked in holding a small box. My heart quickened. I've seen movies, I know what is going to happen. Kartov opens the box and I even though I knew, I couldn't hold back the scream that was inside me._

" _Stop screeching!" Kartov put a finger to his ear. "He can still save you without a finger. But next time, it'll be something more." I bite my tongue; so I'm going to have to do this alone. I take one moment to freak out. Then I relax my face and remain expressionless. "What? No witty remark?" I stay silent, begging the tears not to fall, they don't obey. "So be it." Kartov walks out. I continue to stare ahead; I would do this by myself. But that means I have to keep cool, I can't go crazy, my head must remain precisely where it is. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this._

Knowing Kartov's promise meant she couldn't say anything to the Avengers. Not knowing if he was alive or not didn't help. Her first step had to be find Adam. Once she did, she would return to the Avengers.

' _They'd understand. Any of them would do the same in your position.'_ She said to herself. She signed the note and licked the envelope, placing it on her now clean bed. 

As she tip-toed through the hallway she looked at Pietro's closed room. They had grown closest through her time at the Avengers Headquarters. She had always been a happy person around the team but with his room so close to hers he was the only one who heard her crying at night. He stayed with her and listened as she voiced out her worries about never getting her memories back.

 _"Lailah," Pietro held the crying girl in his arms. He smoothed her hair like Wanda had done for him when he was sick or upset. "Tell me something I can do."_

" _I haven't slept since I got here." She sniffed. "Got anything for that?" Lailah lifted up her head to look Pietro in the eyes. "No drugs, please." She smiled._

 _Pietro thought back to what his father would do in this situation. "I've got an idea. Close your eyes and I'll tell you a story." Lailah snuggled down into his chest and closed her eyes. "Once upon a time…"_

"I'm sorry." Quinn whispered. She walked down the steps.

"Miss Quinn." F.R.I.D.A.Y. announced. "Is something wrong?" Quinn shushed the invisible woman. "Should I get Mr. Stark?"

"No," Quinn continued walking. "I'm leaving. Please do not inform them until-" she looked at the clock. It was currently 3:05. "11:05 this morning." That gave her an eight-hour head start.

"Yes, Miss Quinn."

"And F.R.I.D.A.Y?"

"Yes, Miss Quinn?" The robot waited for a response for a while.

"Tell them I'm sorry."

"I will, Miss Quinn."

And with that Quinn left the Avengers headquarters.

Pietro woke up with a knot in his stomach. His cheek still burned from where Quinn had kissed it last night. He checked his clock. It was 10:30, he had slept in. He got up and put a shirt on and raced toward the kitchen, he grabbed four muffins and sat down next to Wanda. She looked surprised to see him.

"What?" Pietro asked with food in his mouth.

"Nothing, I just thought you were training with Quinn. She wasn't in her room this morning. She must be with Natasha." Just then Natasha walked in with Bruce, they were laughing at something quietly. "Or not."

Pietro zoomed to the training room, Stark was with Sam and Rodey, testing out new equipment.

"Have you seen Quinn this morning?" The three stopped and looked at Pietro.

"No, why?" Stark asked. "Is a girl not allowed to sleep in every once in a while? You're being paranoid."

Pietro nodded and pushed his hair away from his eyes. He spun and walked away.

"And get a haircut."

When 11:04 came around all the Avengers were in the meeting hall deciding where to get lunch.

"I think we should wait for Quinn to get up." Wanda said.

"Maybe I should check on her." Pietro started to get up.

"Speedy, no girl likes a needy boy. Especially when the boy is not her boyfriend." Stark leaned back with his hands behind his head. "Unless-"

"Quinn has asked me to give you a message at this specific time." F.R.I.D.A.Y. interrupted Stark's teasing. Everyone stopped talking. Quinn's voice rang out over the intercom. "I'm leaving, please do not inform them until…11:05 this morning. And F.R.I.D.A.Y.? Tell them I'm sorry."

"What?" Tony stood up, but Pietro was the first to her room.

Pietro came back to the room, having read the letter already three times.

"It says she will return when she can explain everything. There seems to be something keeping her from telling us…something." Tony snatched the letter from his hands.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., track Quinn's phone, where is she?"

"She did not take her phone, sir."

"She might have gone back to Texas." Steve suggested.

"I can get there in five minutes."

"Where else would she go?" Sam asked.

The tension in the room raised two notches. Wanda was the complete opposite, she pulled her legs closer to her chest. She was fighting with herself, Wanda didn't see all of the memories Quinn had in the training room, but she saw one. A memory.

"I know how we can find her." Wanda lowers her head in guilt. "When I was using my powers on her in the training room I saw one memory before I was blocked out." The team eagerly awaited a response. "She has a brother, he's in the army, or was before she was kidnapped." For the first time this morning Pietro's spirits rose. This meant we could find him, and when we found him Quinn would come home. And, oh, how much he wanted her to come home.

"This is…good." Tony nodded. "We can work with this, let's go." The team started to follow Tony to his lab where the jumbo computer is.

"Wait." Wanda crossed her arms. "Let's think before ruining her plan." Everyone stopped and turned to Wanda.

"Her…her plan?" Steve asked. "Did you know?"

"No, it's just. Quinn wouldn't do anything without a plan. And she must have a good one for leaving, and maybe this plan involves us not interfering." Wanda wanted Quinn back as much as anyone else on this team, but she also wanted Quinn to be happy.

"Red, you can send Quinn good thoughts all day long but I don't trust whoever she is running from, so I'm going to find her brother." Wanda frowned. "Who's coming?"

The only avengers who stayed behind with Wanda was Vision and Pietro.

Pietro didn't move from his spot, he wanted to learn about Quinn's brother, but Wanda reached into his mind, he knew she knew more than she was letting on.

"Pietro, I know you want to find her, but there is something you need to know." She pulled her brother close to her. Vision put a hand on Wanda's back. Pietro mentally took a note and filed it in his brain to ask his sister later. "She was kidnapped by Kartov. A lady in her nightmare called him that."

"Why didn't you tell the team?" Vision asked innocently.

Pietro backed up and put a hand to his stomach. When Wanda and him were being experimented on their guards would always talk about Kartov's experiments, or rather, just the one he worked on for seven months. Their stories about the things he did made HYDRA look like a spa.

"Does this mean you know where she is?" Vision asked.

Wanda smiled sadly and grabbed Vision's hand. "No, but I have a pretty good guess where she was held."


	6. Chapter 6

Tony, Steve, Natasha, Sam, and Clint get out of a sleek, black car. A man in an army uniform stands tall outside a military compound.

"Mr. Stark, it is such a pleasure to meet you." Tony turns and smirks at Steve. "This is Captain America, Miss Romanov, Sam Wilson, and Clint…man, what is your last name?" Clint rolled his eyes, Stark's serious mood had disappeared when he found Adam Lacey in a nearby Military training center.

"Right this way." The man said as they were led into the windowless building.

"I've put Sargent Lacey in the first room on the right." Steve nodded to the man.

Natasha stood in front of the door blocking Tony's hand that instead went into Natasha's stomach, she slapped it away.

"Before we go in there, we need to set some ground rules." Tony rolls his eyes. "If we want this guy to talk we can't get mad." Natasha pushed Tony in his chest. "I know you care about Quinn but we need to keep our heads."

"I'm chill. I'm cool." With that Tony opened the door to find, the now 22 year-old, Adam tapping on the metal table. His hair was clean cut; he wore a grey shirt with the army logo in the corner. The most noticeable quality was that he was missing a finger.

"Hello, Sargent Lacey." Steve was the first to speak to the young man.

"Hello, Captain. You may call me Adam if you want." Clint noticed Adam had the same smile as Quinn did, they resembled each other more than the twins. "Who are you avenging today?" Adam laughed lightly at his own joke. Tony was not amused at this, how dare he laugh when his sister had been tortured and turned into a…' _stay calm, Stark.'_

"Your sister." Adams laughter stopped suddenly. His instinct told him to stand and show dominance, what did these people have with his sister. They didn't have cell phones here so he had sent letters home every month, but he got nothing back. He just assumed it was because Ms. Willis hadn't given them to her. Of course, when he thought about it too much his stomach hurt and had an urge to call her and here her voice. He has missed her stories, her way to make him feel better. How long had it been since he'd seen her? Four years. _'I'm a terrible brother.'_

"Where is she?" Adam tried to keep his voice as calm as possible.

"We were hoping you could tell us, Adam." Natasha took a seat in the chair and leaned forward.

"If she was where she was supposed to be I'm guessing you wouldn't be here." Tony stepped forward opening his mouth.

"Listen, kid-" Clint put an arm across Tony's chest, halting his process. Stark took a breath before starting again. "She ran away from the tower this morning and she left this letter."

Adam read over the letter. "Wait, are you saying my baby sister is an Avenger?"

"A damn good one too." Tony pushed Clint's arm away.

"Tony." Clint whispered.

Adam was confused on why an Avenger was mad at him. And confused on why Quinn was an Avenger. And confused on why she seems to be searching for him when she knew that he was no longer stationed in Texas…or perhaps she didn't because she never got any of his letters.

"How did you not know that your sister was-"

"Tony!" Natasha yelled. She pushed him out into the hallway.

"What?" Adam's mind raced through all the possibilities. "Oh God, is she.."

"No, no, no." Steve took Natasha's place in the car.

Sam kept quiet in the back, he knew if he spoke then he'd start yelling and unlike Tony he at least kept his anger hidden behind a scowl. Quinn had been a nice girl, and the thought of her thinking her brother was somewhere dangerous when he was doing fine in a high class military training school; it made him want to punch someone. Instead he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"She's looking for you. Where would she go?"

"Wait, why is she an Avenger? The only combat training she knows is what I thought her, which is just basic defense."

Steve, Clint, and Sam just look at him. Clint was getting real tired of this kid not knowing anything. If he really loved Quinn, he would have checked up on her and known that she wasn't even at her old house.

"She was kidnapped by someone, we don't know who, she won't tell us until she has you safe, as it says in the letter." Steve spoke calmly. "She was experimented for some time, we don't know, then released in New York City a month after the attack."

"The one with the aliens?"

"Yes."

"What do you mean release?" Adam rubbed his head. He tried to keep everything straight.

"Her first memory was being pushed out of an unlicensed car onto a street corner. She had no memory of anything before then. She didn't even know her name, the one thing she remembered was a file labeled 'The Lailah Experiment'." Adam looked up at Captain America then, he had heard that name before. Lailah. He couldn't quite place where, but there had to be tons of girls with the name, so he pushed it from his mind. "We found her four years later in Texas when a couple of teammates were on a mission; she saved their lives."

"What did she do?"

"She created a force field around them and gave them energy, literally. She has a power called Energy Manipulation and Transference. Quinn is a very special girl, but right now you need to tell us where she is so we can bring her home." Adam licked his lips, his sister was in trouble, and he hadn't been there to save her. He always had been, that's the job of the older brother.

"I haven't had contact with her in four years." He said, defeated. "I use to train in Killeen, she might head to there." Steve stood up, so did Adam. "I'm coming with you."

Sam stepped forward, "No, you're not."

"Yes, I am." Adam stood tall, taller than Clint, nearly the height of Sam. "I have been a pretty sucky brother; I want to make it up."

Steve and Sam walked out; Clint put a hand on Adam's arm, stopping him. "One last question." Adam nodded. "After four years, you didn't once think not hearing a word was odd?"

"Truthfully, the years got away from me. I spent a year and a half in the Middle East, and after that I just-" Adam hung his head. "It's no excuse, but I just wanted to start over, with a new life."

"Without Quinn." Clint released his arm. "Good plan." He said sarcastically. Adam would have fought back, that's what he was good at, and he would have if the man wasn't right. Once he found Quinn he would make things right.

Pietro had run solo, meaning he got to Texas first. Not long after him, Vision landed with Wanda's face buried in his neck. She was pale and shaking. Pietro leaned against a building, that run was longer than he expected.

"Where…do we…go." Pietro asked between raged breaths.

Vision gently let Wanda stand, he still kept an arm around her waist.

"Uh, Vision, where are we?" Vision looked around at the small town they had landed outside.

"Wimberley, Texas."

Wanda smiled, "oh, thank goodness. We're here. I remember seeing a file on Kartov, one of his bases was in Wimberley, it's a small town, mostly filled with the elderly. Vision, fly up and see if you can spot anything suspicious." Vision did as he was told. Wanda walked over to her brother. "We'll find her Pietro, I promise."

"Why would she come back here. She said she was looking for her brother, not Kartov. She wouldn't risk coming here." Wanda thought for a second before responding.

"I would risk it for you." Pietro looked up at her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you; but I didn't abandon you." He pointed out.

"Not true, when we were at the store-"

"That was your fault, you wandered off." Pietro accused.

"No, I stayed right where I was. You got distracted by a pretty girl." Wanda scoffed, smiling. Pietro thought back to the memory and she was right, not that he'd tell her that. "You always get distracted by pretty girls." Wanda moved a piece of hair out of his eyes. "Quinn's not stupid, Pietro, she's sensible, and smart; she's doing the right thing."

"If she's so smart then why didn't she come to me..us?"

"She didn't come to you because she thought Kartov would hurt her brother." Pietro huffed. Wanda smacked his arm quite hard. "You need to start looking at this from her prospective. Her and Adam are kind of like us, no parents, no one to count on but each other. And she lost that. She was alone, and scared." Wanda took a shaky breath. "I don't know what I'd do if I forgot you, Pietro." Wanda started to tear up at the thought of being in a world without her brother. "I'd hate myself for forgetting you, because…you're my brother and if I thought that not telling anyone what happened, even if they were the Avengers, to save you I would do it in a heartbeat. Because, even if you had abandoned me, I would still love you. And I would always come to rescue you." Pietro hugged his sister and closed his eyes. She was right, like usual. This did not make him feel any better.

"Wanda I have found something, it's-" Vision stopped as he saw the twins hugging. Pietro smoothed his sister's hair down, meaning she was crying. Vision backed away and stayed silent.

"Don't be mad at Quinn for loving her brother." Wanda's words were a bit muffled as her face was in Pietro's shoulder.

"I'm not mad. Vision, what did you find?"

"I found a small building that has a large underground facility. It's worth checking out." Wanda grabbed Vision's hand. She smiled up at the Vision and squeezed his hand before reaching out her arms to Pietro.

"Lead the way, Vision." Pietro picked up his sister and followed Vision to the building.

Pietro dropped Wanda lightly as they looked at the abandoned looking building, surrounded by an unusually high fence. Pietro thought it was weird that this old building should have such a huge fence, what did they want to keep out? Or keep in?

"I'll go search, see if there is anyone there." Pietro walked forward. Wanda put a hand on his arm.

"Wait. Vision, is there a way for you too…sense…if Quinn was in there?"

"Yes there is, and she's not in there. There are people there, however."

"Can you tell who they are."

"I am not that advanced, Pietro." Vision said plainly, wishing he could do more. "Pietro, if you could locate files on Kartov we could-" Then the older twin was gone, leaving a blue dust in his wake. "He really cares about her doesn't he?"

"If you can see it, I don't understand how Quinn couldn't." Wanda looked after her brother. "Don't you think we should help him?"

Pietro came back holding many folders. He had a cut on his face, Wanda immediately reached out.

"Don't touch."

"You stood still too long, didn't you." Wanda scolded.

"There were a lot of files."

"We should read through them-" Vision started.

"Already did. And I know why Kartov wouldn't let Quinn tell anyone." Pietro spent a good couple seconds pounding a guy's face in after he read the file.

"Kartov wasn't working for Hydra, he was working for the US government."

"I suggest we get back to the team immediately." Vision's eyes widen at the new information that was given. His mind raced through all his knowledge of Kartov. All he got was a first name and date of birth. "I've already informed Mr. Stark of our return."


	7. Chapter 7

Four Years Ago

Nicholas Kartov rose through the ranks of the military with ease. Known for his ruthlessness and effectiveness he soon became the commander of a top secret agency that was unknown to everyone except the Vice President. To keep the suspicion away he was also a general in a US army training base in New York. The secret agency was established when a few creatures named "mutants" entered the radar in the 70's. His job entitled him to find these "mutants" and find out what made them who they were. Of course, it was easier said than done; in two years he and his team was nowhere close to catching a "mutant", this made the Vice President very mad and Kartov wasn't allowed to make the Vice President mad. Pissed off with this failure Kartov turned to a scientist at HYDRA and called in a favor. The scientist couldn't give him a "mutant", but he could give him some of their blood and serums that made them who they were.

Kartov took this back to his research team and had them modify it. Once he had a new and improved way to make "mutants" he now had to find a test subject. He knew he couldn't just pick someone off the street. They had to be someone not missed, someone who could handle the pain. His first thought went to a recruit that had shown promise, an Adam Lacey.

He put Adam to a test, called it a course for randomly selected newbies, the kid bought it. Adam was tied up in a chair and was given instructions to get out at any cost. He had used his teeth to open drawers until he found a knife. As he cut the rope, he cut his finger, badly. Adam yelled for help, after five minutes of screaming, Kartov stopped the test. Adam had failed, Kartov punched a wall. He looked over Adam's file, he was a perfect candidate, no parents, no siblings…wait, he had a sister. Kartov got a hold of her file and saw it was similar to Adam's, just as smart if not smarter, and emotionally strong.

"Quinn Lacey has been chosen for a summer program, with our company." Kartov put a finger to his temple talking to Ms. Willis. "A car will be there to pick her up tonight, I'm confused on why she didn't tell you. Did you not get the letter in the mail?"

"No, I didn't. The little brat must have snatched it before I could read it." Kartov sat up straighter sighing in relief. "Look I don't get paid if she isn't-"

"I will personally take care of that, 25% more than what you are currently receiving."

"Take the brat, keep her, I don't care. Thank you so much!"

Kartov hung up the phone and ran fingers through his hair. "Finally."

Present Day

Quinn pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail. She had gotten to the Killeen military facility and they said he was in New York. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. It was supposed to be simple, keep Adam safe then return to the Avengers tower and explain everything. Now she had to go all the way back to New York to find him.

"Quinn Lacey, is that you?" Quinn turned to see Melanie and Aaron, "friends" from high school, what she completed. "My Lord, it's been what?" Melanie turned to Aaron.

"Four years."

"Yes, thank you, four years." Melanie ran and hugged Quinn with a pat on her back. Quinn smiled and put on her mask of happiness. "Man, you were the talk of the whole town for a couple months. There were so many theories of what happened to you." Melanie and Aaron stood wide eyed, waiting for an answer. Quinn thought for a second before selecting a safe response.

"What were some of the theories?" Aaron chuckled and punched Quinn's shoulder lightly.

"Let's see." Melanie tapped her chin. "Pregnant."

"No." Quinn said.

"Abducted by aliens."

"No."

"Ran away with Coach Evans."

"The basketball coach?" Quinn asked.

"He left the same summer you did; it was the most popular opinion." Quinn looked to Aaron, he nodded.

"I never played basketball, you know I sucked at sports." Quinn searched her mind for a way to get out of this conversation fast. "Well it's been-"

"So, what really happened?"

"I…uh, ran away."

"With Coach?" Aaron asked.

"No, I just…ran away. By myself. My life wasn't great, not that you would know." Quinn felt herself getting angry. These people didn't deserve the fake explanation she just made up, the few friends she made probably forgot all about her since she was kidnapped.

"What do you mean?"

"I have to go. See you later." Or hopefully never.

Quinn walked away from them and turned a corner so she was out of sight. She pushed her back against a wall and slid down hiding her face in her hands. The tears rushed down her face, her breathing increased and her legs felt like like jello. She heard footsteps and pushed herself up and ran into the nearest ally. Hiding beside a dumpster she let the pain take over for the first time. She screamed into her sweater, muffling the sound.

After learning that Adam was in New York, Quinn thought all she had to do was go back and find him, but the thought accord to her that she has been a part of the Avengers team for six months. And that is far too long for Kartov not to know about her; what if he thought that she blabbed and killed Adam? She couldn't bare it; she couldn't lose her brother when she had just remembered him.

"Poor girl, there there." A man's voice rang out above Quinn's cries. Quinn looked up, she couldn't see the man's face but she knew this couldn't be good. "Kartov is going to be so glad I found you, Lailah."

Pietro, Wanda, and Vision arrived just as Stark, Steve, Clint, Sam, Natasha, and Adam were leaving the military training center.

"Where have you been, playing games?" Stark was still on edge after the meeting with Adam and his 'time out' from Natasha.

Pietro and Wanda were too winded to speak so Vision spoke up, "we visited the facility in Texas where Quinn was held." Wanda put a hand to Vision's, telepathically telling him to stop talking.

"She wasn't there." Wanda said.

"Well, while you were on your little road trip we got the brother." Pietro looked up, his breathing slowed down to a normal pace. "Now it's really a party." Stark said sarcastically. His phone rang, Tony angrily answered it. "What?"

"Who are these people? I don't recognize them? Are they Avengers too?" Adam put a hand in his pocket.

Wanda was the first to step forward. "I'm Wanda Maximoff, your sisters best friend." She shook his hand quickly then turned to Steve. "We need to talk, Captain." Wanda whispered.

"Hello, Mr. Lacey, I am Vision." Vision held out his hand, Adam eye's lite up like a kid on Christmas.

"You are legit, man." Vision looked at Sam for help, he didn't understand all the cultural slang of the day; Sam had assisted him in this aspect before but today Sam just shrugged, and walked toward the car. "And that is Pietro, he is Wanda's brother."

"And y'all were friends of Quinn's?"

"She was a member of the family."

Pietro rolled his eyes at Adam, making sure he saw before he caught up with Wanda and Steve.

"How are we supposed to let Quinn know her brother is with us?" Pietro asked.

"I don't know." Steve asked. "We're going back to the tower and we're going to have a meeting and we'll figure it out."

"We've got a problem." Tony put his phone back in his suit pocket. "Walter is at the tower." Tony rubbed his temple, he pointed at Adam. "I don't like you."

"I could tell." Adam said. "I just don't know why." He lowered his voice. Not low enough for Tony not to hear.

"Oh, I know why. You abandoned Quinn for four years and now you think you can walk back into her life like nothing happened? I have no idea why she would want to see you, if I was her I wouldn't spend one more day thinking about you. We're her family, probably more than you ever were." Natasha put a hand on Stark's arm.

"Tony." She whispered.

"I love Quinn, and no matter how many years past she is still my family. I know that I haven't been the best brother-" Pietro scoffed a bit too loudly. Adam crossed his arms. "You got a problem with me too?"

Wanda grabbed her brother before he did anything stupid. "Pietro, think about Quinn."

"Dude, don't make an Avenger mad. It's not wise." Sam uncrossed his arms and walked over to Adam. The Avengers started walking toward the car. "Kid, for the next couple of days, until we find Quinn, it would be better if you laid low. As you know, Quinn is a very optimistic person, even when she didn't know anything. We, the Avengers, had just gotten over quite a dispute. We were still split into to two teams and Quinn brought us together, made us remember that we were a team." Adam smiled, his little sister was doing good even when she had nothing. This made him feel like even more of a douche. "Needless to say, we are very protective of Quinn. Can you see how some of us might be mad at you?" Adam took a moment to see this situation from the outside.

"It looked like I didn't even care to check up on her, like I didn't care what happened to my sister." Sam nodded.

"Now, I know you care about her, you know you care about her. All that is left to do is let her know, okay?" Adam nodded. Sam slapped his back.


	8. Chapter 8

"I…I'm not going…anywhere with…you." Quinn said between shaggy breaths and tears.

"Aww, that's cute." The man laughed. "You think you have a choice."

Quinn wiped her eyes, attempting to make the out the man's face. When she did a name came to her mind, "Henry."

"I'm glad you remember me. I'm flattered, honestly." Henry was one of the assistants to Kartov. "I've missed you." He reached out and lightly stroked her cheek. Quinn kept breathing hard, but inside she was calming herself down and preparing to run. "Did you miss me?"

"If I say yes will you let me go?" Quinn fought the urge to wipe tears off her face. Henry laughed.

"You know I can't do that, Lailah. But how about this, after I take you to Kartov, I'll get a place to stay. And you can live with me. You won't have to stay in a crummy, grey room. You'll stay with me, how's that sound?" Henry picked her up by her arms. She closed her eyes and pushed the energy from the core of her body through her arms past her wrists and out her hands.

Henry flew backwards, a loud crack sounded when his head hit the opposite wall. Quinn pushed her legs, practically flying out of the ally.

"You can't run forever, Lailah." Quinn didn't look behind her, if she hadn't been training with the Avengers he would have caught up with her in a heartbeat.

"I've done it for four years I can do it for a bit longer." She needed to find a place to hide. Just long enough to call Pietro. Quinn turned around to find Henry a lot closer than she expected, she blasted him with another burst of energy. She then manipulated the energy around the space to move a car on top of him. He cried out in pain as a wheel landed on his foot. "Oops."

Quinn ran far, dodging people left and right. She didn't stop at the first place she saw, not even at the second or third place. She ran until she collapsed on a side walk outside of a restaurant.

"Honey, you okay? Did you fall?" A middle aged woman asked.

"Ph…phone." Quinn choked out.

"What was that?" The woman knelt down to her level. "Sweetie, what happened?"

Quinn turned and threw up in the parking lot. The woman dropped her purse and pulled back her hair. Quinn emptied her stomach, her throat burned and the tears came back. After she was done the woman held her to her chest and put a tissue to her mouth. Quinn grabbed the woman's arms tightly.

"I got you, sweetie. I got you." The woman's soothing voice made Quinn cry harder, she felt so alone, so lost. She wanted to go home. But where was home?

' _I don't even think I have one anymore.'_

Quinn cried into the woman's shoulder, she cried for her brother, for her parents, for the years wasted not knowing, for the days wasted not trusting the only true friends she had.

After the crying was done she looked the woman in the eyes, seeing she was crying too.

"I'm sorry." Quinn said with a shaky voice. "May I use your phone?" The woman reached for her purse, keeping one arm around Quinn.

Pietro stood in the corner of the meeting room, arms crossed. Walter paced back and forth yelling at the Avengers about losing Quinn. Adam was being kept in the living room, quite unhappy that he was not invited into the meeting room.

"She's a twenty-year-old girl, if you can't keep track of Lailah how can we expect you-"

"Her name is Quinn!" Pietro yelled at the same level as Walter. "And she did it so save her brother. She left to-"

"She left! This further proves my point. When she places one foot back in this tower, I'm coming to pick her up." Walter grabbed his briefcase and exited the room.

"Well that worked." Scott rubbed his eyes.

"I do not like that man." Vision said frankly. Under any other circumstance the team would have laughed at the forwardness of the Vision's comments.

"Sir," F.R.I.D.A.Y. spoke out. "You have a call from a Mary Simmons." The team looked to Tony.

"Who? I don't know anyone named Mary Simmons."

"It's from Texas, sir." Pietro stood straighter. The rest of the team turned their attention to Stark.

"Put it on speaker please."

"Yes, sir."

The line was silent for a bit until a shaky breath voiced over. "Tony." The voice cracked on the word. Wanda put a hand to her mouth, tears started to run down her face. "He's after me." Quinn's words were jumbled and hard to understand.

"Quinn, take a deep breath." Steve said. Pietro walked over and grabbed his sisters hand, squeezing it lightly.

"Will you send…send Pietro. He won't stop…chasing me." Her voice cracked again and Wanda started balling, Quinn's pain radiating through her body.

"Where are you?" Pietro asked.

"Pietro, I'm…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Quinn, where are you?" Tony put his face in his hands, the tears dripped onto his palms.

"I'm in…ha, I don't know. Where am I?" A woman answered her. "Cove? Cove. Texas."

Pietro looked to Tony. "I don't know where that is, Stark?" Tony raised his head, he slipped off his watch.

"Take the watch. It'll tell you where to go." The tear stains were evident on his face, no one dared bring it up though. "Go." And in a flash of blue and silver, Pietro left.

"Pietro is on his way, Quinn, stay put." Steve said. He looked down at his best friend, who had been quiet for the whole time during the call suddenly pushed away from the table.

"I'm sorry I left." Bucky left the room. Steve started to leave but Wanda grabbed his arm and shook her head.

"You don't need to apologize, Quinn. We just want you to come home."

Vision walked calmly over to Wanda and took her trembling hand. "Wanda, maybe you should step out." Wanda shook her head.

"Wanda? Are you okay? I'm sorry-" Quinn stopped. "Oh God, he found me."

"Quinn?" Steve asked. "Quinn, who found you?" The phone made a noise as if it was being dropped.

"Stand back, everyone stand back." Quinn's voice was still weak. She must have stepped away from the phone. "No! Let her go, Henry."

"Quinn?"

"Your fight is with me, not her. Let her go. Maybe this time I won't drop a car on you." Wanda buried her face in Vision's chest. "It's going to be alright." Quinn promised. "Please, let her go." Quinn was now pleading with Henry. "Take me instead."

Wanda lifted her head. "No, Quinn."

"That's what he sent you to do right? To get me? Let the woman go, and I'll go with you, okay?"

"Quinn! Quinn, don't! Quinn!" Wanda screamed. She didn't respond. "Quinn!"

"Oh God." An older voice sounded. "Oh, God." The woman's voice was louder. "Whoever you are please help."

"We're coming ma'am." Steve said. The call ended, Steve pushed a button that turned red. "Avengers…assemble."


	9. Chapter 9

Pietro arrived at the restaurant to find a woman crying on the ground along with a group of people surrounding her.

"Ma'am, where did the girl go?" The woman couldn't talk so she pointed.

Pietro took off, he searched every street until he found a black truck speeding down a highway. He caught up easily to the truck and saw Quinn inside, her head was lifted high but tear fell from her eyes. His first impulse was to take out the driver, but he could hurt Quinn in the process so he instead popped all four tires. The car swerved a bit, but stayed in its lane.

Quinn grabbed the door handle and tried to open it.

"Nice try, you don't think I don't know how to lock a door?" Quinn slowly slid off her shoe and waited for cars on their right to pass, she then broke the window with her shoe. She undid her seatbelt and pushed herself through the window. "We're going 100, you're going to get run over."

"Not if I have someone who will catch me." Quinn leap from the car, Pietro caught her and ran her off the high way. He stopped under a bridge miles away.

Quinn wrapped her arms around Pietro's neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." Pietro held her just as tightly and smoothed her hair down.

"Please don't leave again." Pietro regretted his words as Quinn started to cry. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No, no. I just…I messed up so bad." Quinn pulled away. "I was supposed to be back in, like, a week. I was supposed to find Adam and bring him back with me, but, God, now I've screwed it all up. Now Henry is going to report to Kartov and Adam is as good as dead." Pietro tried to get rid of the tears but new ones kept coming. Pietro didn't know what to do so he just held her.

"He's with us. Well, he's at the tower." Quinn looked up, confused. "I'll explain it later, let's head back." Pietro helped Quinn stand up, their faces less than an inch away. "I should, uh, call Stark." Pietro attempted to work the watch he was given. "I don't know how this works." Quinn smiled and helped him excess F.R.I.D.A.Y.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., call Tony please." Quinn said into the watch.

"Yes, Quinn." The phone rang twice before picked up.

"Speedy, tell me you got her." The worry in his voice made Pietro question everything he ever thought about him.

"I'm here, Tony. I'm safe." A sigh of relief came from the other side.

"Okay. We're headed down there as we speak. We're a bit slower, so it'll take us a few hours. We don't all have super speed." Tony joked.

"Why are you coming here?" Quinn looked at Pietro, he simply shrugged. He knew nothing of this.

"Because it seems there is a problem down there and we intend to fix it."

"Is…is Adam there?" Tony groaned.

"…yes. But Quinn, don't you think-"

"Stark." Pietro said sternly.

"Alright, fine. Yes, he's coming. He's…excited to see you." Quinn could hear the eye roll Tony was performing on the other line. "In the meantime, try not to get kidnapped again, okay kid?" Pietro stared down at the watch in disbelief. Quinn laughed. "What? Too soon?"

Pietro returned Quinn to the restaurant where she found Mary sitting in a booth.

"I'm so sorry." Mary immediately got up and ran to Quinn and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I was so worried, Sweetie. But don't worry, the Avengers are coming." She looked at Pietro. "Is this one of them? Are they all so attractive?" Quinn laughed and hugged her again.

"I want to thank you for helping me. This hasn't been my best day." Quinn said, looking down at her dirt covered shoes.

"Honey, we all have those. Why don't we get some pie and we can sit here until you feel better." As Mary went to the counter Pietro walked up to Quinn's side.

"She reminds me of my mother, I think it's her perfume, it smells like her. I don't remember much but I remember that smell." Pietro grabbed her hand hesitantly, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it.

Sitting next to Pietro and across from Mary, it was the most comfortable Quinn had felt since she got her memories back.

"They came in the middle of the night. They gave me these magic powers and released me like releasing a wounded animal back into the world. It was terrifying but I…I refuse to let that be a shadow over my current life." Mary was trying to keep up. She was a reasonable woman, but when Quinn started mentioning magic Mary forced herself to keep an open mind. What was magic turned out to be science, which made more since in her mind. It didn't make her feel any better that these kids couldn't even legally drink yet and they had been through so much pain.

"Sweetie, that is…so much." Mary grabbed Quinn's hand. "You look exhausted, take a break, okay?" Quinn nodded. Mary put a hand on Pietro's shoulder as she left the booth.

"I'm sorry I lied to you." Quinn closed her eyes and rested her head on Pietro's shoulder.

"When did you lie?"

"I said I was fine, when I wasn't. I said I'd come to you, and I didn't. You should hate me. Maybe if I had-" Pietro shook his head, he brought his hand to rest on her cheek; Quinn opened her eyes.

"Don't be sorry, you did what you thought was best. And I could never hate you."

"You're not mad?"

"I was. But then Wanda calmed me down and explain why you did what you did." Quinn smiled up at him. Wanda truly was her best friend. "I'm still mad at your brother though." He mumbled.

"Why is everyone mad at Adam?" Quinn sat up.

"Because-"

"Quinn!" Wanda burst through the door pulled Pietro off her. Pietro was pushed behind Wanda as the two girls embraced. "Quinn, I thought…I thought…" Quinn started to tear up as Wanda couldn't finish her sentence.

"I'm sorry, Wanda. I didn't mean to make you cry." Wanda pulled Quinn tighter.

"Witchy, give the others a turn." Tony said. Wanda hung on for a few seconds longer before detaching herself and going to stand next to her brother. "Come here, kid." Quinn wrapped her arms around the billionaire's waist. "Don't scare me again like that, deal?"

"Deal."

Quinn then greeted each Avenger like they were family, because to her they were. She then turned to Tony and asked, "you said Adam was here."

Sam stepped forward, "he thought it was best to stay outside." Quinn took a deep breath before turning around and seeing the familiar, yet older looking, man that was her brother. She open the door calmly and walked slowly toward her brother.

"Couldn't have just left him at the tower." Tony complained.

"Tony, you cannot make comments like that in front of Quinn." Natasha scolded.

The Avengers watched Quinn take hesitant steps toward Adam. She took off into a run and launched herself at him. Adam caught her and held her to where her feet were dangling above the ground. They stayed like that for a long time and when he put her down she seemed to crumble into him. He knelt down and held her in his arms.

Wanda nudged Pietro, "remind you of anyone?" Pietro rolled his eyes. The twins had done the same thing when they returned from their first experiment, they hadn't seen each other in three days and refused to be apart for longer than that ever again.

"Shut up."

"Did you tell her?" Wanda raised her eyebrows at her.

"What? Are you serious? No! This is not the right time." Pietro crossed his arms.

"Right time for what?" Scott came over to sit on a bar stool beside the twins. "Time to tell Quinn you wanna go steady?"

Wanda replied, "yes", as Pietro said, "no". Pietro turned to his sister, "no." He turned to Scott, "no." He then moved his spot next to Steve. Wanda leaned nearer to Scott. "Yes." Scott nodded and smiled.

"I ship it."

The Avengers watched Adam rock back and forth with Quinn in his arms. "I love you so much, Quinnie. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." Quinn's tears dried up and she started to laugh. "What? Why are you laughing?" Quinn looked up at her brother.

"Do you remember when I wanted to try out for the tennis team? You promised to be there to watch me try out." Adam nodded at the memory.

"But I had to stay late in history because Mr. Jensen hated me and I missed it. When I finally got there you were sitting on the benches with an ice patch on your face."

"You said the same thing, 'I'm sorry I wasn't there for you'." Quinn smiled.

"I've been a kind of sucky brother."

"…yeah." Quinn laughed. Adam stood and pulled her into another hug. "I forgive you."

"Can you tell your Avengers that?" Quinn laughed at the words he chose. She nodded and they walked slowly back inside.

"Alright Quinn, now tell us all about this ass and how to catch him." Steve said. Tony picked up a chocolate milkshake and took a sip. He leaned over to Steve, but before he could say anything Steve whispered. "If you say language this is going in your face."


End file.
